Drobo (Bono), March 2, – Cashew farmers in the Bono Region have appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to fulfil his 2024 campaign pledge to establish a Cashew Development Board to regulate and strengthen the sector.
They say the creation of the Board would help stabilise pricing, improve regulation and enhance the livelihoods of farmers engaged in the fast-growing industry.
Mr Daniel Kofi Munufie, Interim Chairman of the Bono Cashew Farmers’ Cooperative Union, made the appeal at an advocacy training workshop held in Drobo in the Jaman South Municipality.
He noted that Ghana’s cashew industry holds significant potential for job creation, poverty reduction and export diversification, but requires structured institutional backing to realise its full value.
The workshop was organised by Cashew Watch Ghana (CWG) under its “Amplifying the Voices of Cashew Farmers” project, funded by STAR-Ghana Foundation.
Mr Munufie said a Cashew Development Board would provide strategic direction, coordinate policies and offer the institutional support needed to transform the sector into a major contributor to the national economy.
He explained that although cashew remains one of Ghana’s leading non-traditional export commodities, farmers continue to face numerous constraints, including unstable farmgate prices, limited access to affordable credit, weak extension services, poor road infrastructure and exploitation by middlemen.
According to him, the proposed Board would strengthen quality control and export standards, promote local processing and value addition, facilitate access to farm inputs and credit, and accelerate government interventions in cashew-growing communities.
Mr Simon Asore, Functional Steering Committee Chairperson of CWG, urged farmers to remain united and proactive in engaging policymakers to demand reforms and accountability within the sector.
He said the training aimed to equip participants with advocacy skills to enhance policy engagement, negotiation and stakeholder dialogue at the national level.
Mr Raphael Godlove Ahenu, National Coordinator of CWG, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to promoting transparency, inclusive governance and citizen participation in shaping economic policies affecting the cashew industry.
GHBUSS
02 MARCH 2026
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